Global luggage storage company Radical Storage has recently released its findings on which inflight airline snacks and meals are the least expensive on some of the world's most popular airlines. Radical Storage also worked with a nutritionist to determine which inflight food offerings were the healthiest and which you would probably want to avoid.
Regarding airline food, you must be flying with Singapore Airlines, Turkish Airlines, or one of the Gulf States carriers to ensure your meal is exceptional. For its study, Radical Storage looked at the economy class offerings from 150 airlines. One of the criteria was the price airlines charge for a small can of Pringles potato chips, a can of Coca-Cola, and a can of beer.
5 AirAsia (ASIA)
Established in 1996, AirAsia is a Malaysian low-cost carrier with its central hub at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL). By fleet size, it is the largest airline in Malaysia, connecting the Southeast Asian country with 165 destinations in 25 countries. For 14 years, United Kingdom-based airline review and ranking website Skytrax has voted AirAsia the world's number one low-cost carrier.
Sticking to its heritage, AirAsia offers a variety of hot meals that can be pre-booked, include:
- Pak Nasser's Nasi Lemak: A coconut rice dish served with chili sambal and chicken rendang.
- Pak Nasser's Plant-Based Nasi Lemak : A vegetarian curry served with basmati and wild purple rice.
- Uncle Chin's Chicken Rice: Roast chicken and fluffy rice served with a secret chili, ginger, and garlic sauce.
- Prawn and Chicken Wanton Noodles: Egg noodles lightly coated with soy sauce and oyster sauce, paired with delicately wrapped wonton filled with prawn and chicken.
As well as hot meals, AirAsia also has several cold sandwich options available. Compared to other airlines, AirAsia was the least expensive, charging $1.77 for a can of Pringles, $1.33 for a can of Coca-Cola, and $2.73 for a can of beer.
4 VivaAerobus (North America)
Owned by the largest bus company in Mexico, IAMSA, VivaAerobus began operations in 2006 with a single aircraft and has grown to have a fleet of 77 planes now.
Based at Monterrey International Airport (MTY) with hubs at Cancun, Guadalajara, and Mexico City, today VivaAerobus flies to 40 destinations in Mexico, Colombia, Cuba, and the United States. Radical Storage found that. VivaAerobus was the least expensive North American airline regarding food and drinks.
Because VivaAerobus flights are mostly short-haul, the Mexican low-cost carrier does not offer hot meals. However, you can get pot noodles, sandwiches, energy bars, and chips. On VivaAerobus, a can of Pringles costs $2.79, a Coca-Cola $2.71, and a beer $4.22.
Not surprisingly, the second-cheapest airline for inflight food and drinks was another low-cost Mexican carrier, Volaris. On Volaris, a can of Pringles costs $2.95, a can of Coca-Cola $2.95, and a beer $4.13.
3 TUI Airways (Europe)
With a history dating back to Britannia Airways and then rebranded in 2005 to Thomsonfly and then to Thomson Airways in 2008. In 2015, the airline owner, the German leisure, travel, and tourism company TUI Group, announced that all the airlines it owned would now be called TUI Airways.
Headquartered next to London Luton Airport (LTN) in Bedfordshire, today, TUI Airways UK flies to various vacation destinations around the Mediterranean, Caribbean, and Indian Ocean. According to the aviation data and statistics website ch-aviation.com, TUI Airways' fleet is made up of the following planes:
- 9 X Airbus A320-200s
- 1 x Airbus A321-200
- 18 x Boeing 737-8s
- 38 x Boeing 737-800s
- 2 x Boeing 767-300ERs
- 8 x Boeing 787-8s
- 6 x Boeing 787-9s
On short and medium-haul flights, TUI Airways offers a selection of hot and cold sandwiches, snacks, and drinks. A current promotion the airline is running offers a mixed tapas box and a bottle of wine for $9.43.
On TUI Airways long-haul flights, an inflight meal and complimentary beverage are included in the ticket price. According to Radical Storage, TUI Airways is the least expensive European airline, charging $1.94 for a can of Pringles, $2.06 for a can of Coca-Cola, and $4.90 for a beer.
2 Air New Zealand (Oceania)
On April 1, 1965, the Government of New Zealand purchased Tasman Empire Airways Limited and rebranded it as Air New Zealand. With its central hub at Auckland Airport (AKL) and smaller hubs at Christchurch Airport (CHC) and Wellington Airport (WLG), Air New Zealand links the island nation with the rest of the world.
Air New Zealand flies to 20 domestic and 30 international destinations in 18 countries. Currently, the Air New Zealand fleet is made up of the following aircraft:
- 17 x Airbus A320-200s
- 6 x Airbus A320neos
- 10 x Airbus A321-200NXs
- 1 x Airbus A330-200
- 29 x ATR72-600s
- 7 x Boeing 777-300ERs
- 14 x Boeing 787-9s
- 23 x DHC-8-Q300s
Air New Zealand offers hot meals from locally sourced ingredients paired with the best New Zealand wines on all long-haul flights. Air New Zealand provides passengers complimentary tea, coffee, and water on all flights. All other sandwiches, snacks, and drinks can be purchased onboard from the inflightbites menu. A can of Pringles costs $2.48, a can of Coca-Cola $2.48 and a beer $4.96.
1 Pegasus Airlines (The Middle East and Turkey)
Named after the winged horse sired by Poseidon, Pegasus Airlines is a low-cost Turkish airline headquartered in Istanbul. Founded on January 12, 1991, Pegasus Airlines is today the second-largest airline in Turkey, with the top spot belonging to the national flag carrier Turkish Airlines.
Initially founded to bring European vacationers to Turkish coastal beach resorts, today, Pegasus Airlines flies to every major city in Turkey and to 126 destinations in 47 countries. According to ch-aviation Pegasus Airlines current fleet comprises the following aircraft:
- 10 x Airbus A320-200s
- 46 x Airbus A320-200neos
- 33 x Airbus A321NXs
- 1 x Boeing 737-8
- 15 x Boeing 737-800s
Pegasus Airlines does not have free meals on its flights, but people can order something to eat and drink from the Inflight Cafe Menu. The menu is quite extensive, with 26 hot meal options available for pre-order at a 20% discount compared to buying something from the menu during the flights. On Pegasus Airlines, a can of Pringles costs $3.85, a can of Coca-Cola $3.85, and a beer $6.05.
Sources: Radical Storage; ch-aviation.com